Wednesday 28 September 2011

Altered Ribbon Reel

This Christmas tree ornament started life in the bin! My daughter was throwing it out, can you believe? I often annoy myself  with the way I look at packaging in terms of what can I do with it rather than what it contains. I also regularly but stuff just for the packaging - sad but true; and I know I'm not the only one!!!

Again, I made my own backing paper - text background on white card, overstamped and clear embossed snowflakes, overstamped lilac and blue snowflakes and finally the card was coloured using distress inks and a blending tool.



Allsorts - Keep it Simple
Dutch Magnolia Lovers - No Designer papers & 2 stamped images (made own paper, angel tilda on front and back)
Magnolialicious Highlites - Altered Project
Craft Room Challenge - Anything Christmas
Top Tip Tuesday - 2 or more ribbons/lace/twine/fabric (lace)


Tuesday 27 September 2011

Messin' with inks again

On Sunday, I bought two new colours of Distress inks - Aged Mahogany and Barn Door, so yesterday, I had a play with them; I stamped and heat embossed snowflakes on white card, then went to town with the inks, then I spritzed with water followed by Glimmer Mist. I also used the inks on my altered beer mat - I cut the aperture with a nestie, then inked it, passed it through the swirls embossing folder ans highlighted the embossing with gold embossing powder.

Challenges Entered
Magnolia Down Under - Fancy Folds
Totally Tilda - Decorate a Beer Mat 

 

Sunday 25 September 2011

Amongst the leaves

How cute is this Tilda? She just looks as though the autumn winds are about to take her hat.

Challenges Entered
One Stop Craft - Easel Cards
Paperplay - Autumn Leaves
Simon Says Stamp - Dies and Punches
My Mums Craft Shop - Boys and Girls
Paper Sundaes - Anything Goes

Friday 23 September 2011

Groovy!

I don't have a great deal of this Crate Paper Bliss left, which is a shame as the colours are lovely and it bridges the gap between girly and trendy. Still, I have had more than my moneys worth out of it and at least I've used it rather than letting it gather dust - I'm trying to use rather than hoard, but it's an uphill struggle!

Challenges Entered 
It's a Magnolia Challenge - Use 2 Magnolia stamps (Tilda and greeting)
Dutch Magnolia Chickies - Bingo (Buttons - made of felt, flowers and glitter - on small flower centres)
Paper Sundaes - Felt ( flower stalks and buttons)
Magnolia Down Under - Picture Inspiration
Magnolia Mania - Dots (Embossed oval)
Crafts and Me - Stripes (paper)


Tuesday 20 September 2011

Guest Designer at Top Tip Tuesday

Last week, I was thrilled to win a Guest Designer spot on Top Tip Tuesday; the theme was ' a card for a child'. Why not pop along and see the lovely creations the Design Team have come up with?

Thanks for Looking

Monday 19 September 2011

An Altered Book

I got this book yesterday in one of my favourite shops (Home Bargains) for 39p - its a great one to alter because it's really thick so you can get something substantial in the void you make in the middle. The tealights are scented and cost £2 for 24. I thought it made a really pretty but inexpensive little gift.



Challenges Entered
Addicted to Stamps - Stitching
Craft Your Days Away - Pink, Brown & Blue
All Sorts - Alter/recycle
My Mums Craft Shop - Happy Birthday
Crafts and Me - Add a Charm
Simply Magnolia - Shabby Chic
Thanks for looking

Sunday 18 September 2011

Autumnal

This card started with the idea of wrapping twine around a frame, and the bunch of raffia to resemble straw. I added the embossed punched leaves, but felt I was missing something.... enter paper pinecones. The ticket greeting seemed so appropriate; 'Inspire beauty in all that surrounds you'. Thanks for looking.

Challenges Entered
Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Fall Colours
Bunny Zoe's - Sketch
CES -Embellish me more (twine, punched leaves, button, raffia)

Friday 16 September 2011

Mmmm Chocolate

Easy on the punching with this one! Another simple colour scheme, using a really subtle embossed backing paper which I inked for definition and to give that old cookbook feel.


Challenges Entered
TOMIC - Chocolate, brown & cream
7 Kids - Holiday Goodness (Festive Truffles recipe)
Paperplay - Punches and dies 
Anything Goes - Vintage/shabby chic
Deep Ocean - Lace
Winter Wonderland - Girly Christmas

Thursday 15 September 2011

White Wedding

I know, I know, with all the punching I'll be complaining of repetitive strain injury before long! Ahh the price of craft. A fairly simple colour scheme with this one, but I think it needs to be simple and elegant for a wedding - so I used tone on tone DP but in opposite colours. I'm also loving the seam binding, it makes such lovely bows - I'm having to stop myself getting it in every colour!!!



Challenges Entered
Totally Tilda - Wedding
Magnolia-Mania - White and....(pink)
Simon Says Stamp - Inspired by film/song (White Wedding - Billy Idol)
Die Cut Dreams - Flower Power
Heart 2 Heart - Die cuts - flowers and spellbinders
 Marianne Design Divas - Flowers - english rolled roses

Wednesday 14 September 2011

I'm so excited!

I'm so pleased to tell you I've been accepted onto the design team for Lets Ink It Up The blog is relaunching, and challenges restart in early October. The rest of the team are
Suzanne - DT Leader

I hope you'll take a look at their blogs, just to whet your appetite for what's to come.

Keeping it simple

No punches or rolled roses, what's going on?
I've gone for a simple look with this card because it's aimed at a teenager - and teenagers don't do fussy - well mine doesn't. So instead of lots of embellishing, I let the image and funky papers be the main focus. It gets the teenager of the houses' approval at any rate -well a grunt was heard and I took that to be approval!
Top Tip 
 If you don't have the right colour of pearl or gem for your project, use Promarkers to colour white/clear ones to match

Challenges Entered
Top Tip Tuesday - Birthday
Passion For Promarkers - Beary Special
Sweet Stampin - For a teenager & sketch

Tuesday 13 September 2011

Santa Clause is Coming to Town

My poor MS punches have been working overtime making this card! I even managed to use the corner punch on a circle.  I used kraft for a vintage/ folky feel and kept to 'traditional' colours as I thought it would make it suitable for a male recipient - then I added the bow, the flower and the glitter, so that went by the wayside!



Challenges Entered
Winter Wonderland - Santa is coming to town 
Christmas Inspirations - use glitter (poinsettia and Edwin)
Paper Sundaes - Finishing Touches
Marianne's Design Divas - Anything Goes
Thanks for looking

Sunday 11 September 2011

Sweet Angel

More messing today - this time in silver and grey. I used the Stampin up text stamp with grey ink, then over stamped with a free Stampotique star and embossed in silver, finally I distressed the edges with grey ink. I wanted the background stamping to still be visible, so my accent papers are silver angel hair paper and swirl embossed vellum. I'm also entering this card at Lets Ink it up for their Design Team call.


Challenges Entered
Secret Crafter - Inspired by a song (Jimi Hendrix, Sweet Angel)
Charisma Cardz - Inspired by a song (Jimi Hendrix, Sweet Angel)
Allsorts - Flowers and swirls (swirl embossed vellum)
Craft your days away - Make your own flowers
Crafty Hazelnuts - Swirls (swirl embossed vellum)
Catch the bug - punches or dies
Crafty Emma - Make it magical or spooky
Just Us Girls - Text me (background text stamp
Fairytale Challenge - Flowers and lace
Stuck on us - Die Cut flowers - marianne design dies

Thanks for looking

Saturday 10 September 2011

Paper Patchwork

I love patchwork -although usually the fabric kind. I would use stitching a lot more in my cardmaking, but my machine doesn't seem to like sewing paper!
Once again, I used my new MS punches - wonderfully satisfying randomly punching paper - or is that just me? I also had a rolled roses fest last night, so I've a good stock of them to use up.

Challenges Entered
Just Magnolia - Sketch
Paperplay - use 2 or more stamped images (Tilda, Hearts and ticket)
Craft Us Crazy - Autumn colours and/or favourite embellishment (rolled roses)
Cupcake Crafts - Patchwork
Incy Wincy - Make your own flowers (rolled roses)
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
Crop Stop - use Spellbinders (Scallop circle & inverted scallop)
Thanks for looking.

Friday 9 September 2011

Getting Messy

For the past few days, I've been having fun with my distress inks and embossing powders; I started with plain white cardstock, stamped the script with distress, stamped the fleur de lis with versamark and clear embossed it, then went to town with various distress inks and my blending tool.
I also did a combination of the above for my accent papers.
TOP TIP - With the more 'grainy' embossing powders, such as Metal Magic, heat from underneath. This prevents all the powder blowing away, and gives a more even finish.
My fingers now look rather nicotine stained - ahh the price of getting creative!



Challenges Entered
TOMIC - Make your own background
I (heart) promarkers - Metal embellishment or charm (frame embossed with Metal Magic also used metallic lace)
Truly Scrumptious - Decorate the inside
Stampavie and more - Pearls and lace (pearl headed heart pin, metallic lace)
Little Red Wagon - Use Die Cuts (frame & chipboard buttons)
My Mums Craft Shop - Layer it up
Anything Goes - Vintage/Shabby
Top Tip Tuesday - Easel Card
Magnolia Mania - Sparkle (Stickles on Tilda)
Crafts and Me - Buttons and bows (chipboard buttons, hessian bows)
Thanks for looking

Tuesday 6 September 2011

Windfall Tilda

This week, I've had lots of new Martha Stewart punches, so I've been having a bit of a play - funny how things go in cycles, when I got my sizzix machine, I got rid of quite a few punches thinking my die cutting would be much more versatile, then I got my cricut and again thought that would replace the sizzix; although I learned with the punches not to let go of the sizzix! Now I'm back to buying punches and dies. Funny how we NEED it all isn't it.
I used a punch around the page to make the mat on this card, a Nellie Snellen die, border punch for the rosette, marianne rose die and a leaf punch.

Challenges entered
Just Magnolia - Anything Goes
Simply Magnolia - Anything Goes
Sketchy Colours - Purple, Brown, Beige - Purple in the paper, although it looks more pink in the photo!
Cute Card Thursday - Use at least one punch
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Saturday 3 September 2011

Shabby Chic

This is my take on shabby chic - for me it's distressing, lace, florals and tatty ribbons with a soft colour palette.

Challenges Entered
Just Magnolia and Hanglar - Anything goes /circles
Simply Magnolia - Love is in the air (heart pins and with love sentiment)
Magnolia Mania - Swirl (die cut)
Top Tip Tuesday - What is shabby chic?
Deep Ocean - Hearts (pins)
My Mum's Craft Shop - 1,2,3 (1 doily, 2 pins, 3 looped bow)
All That Scraps - photo inspiration
7 Kids - easel cards
I love promarkers - anything goes